Treatments

The process begins with a comprehensive medical and nutritional evaluation. If there are no contraindications to weight loss, then all patients are offered both individual and group-based treatments.

• Lifestyle
• Medications
• Surgery
• Frequently Asked Questions

Lifestyle

Individual counseling with Registered Dietitians provides a goal-oriented approach to lifestyle and dietary changes. Weekly group sessions are led by Registered Dietitians and Behavioral Psychologists specifically trained to provide the nutrition information and behavior modification skills necessary to make life-long changes in eating behavior.

Physical Activity

Physical activity is an important component of weight loss therapy. The UIC Physical Therapy Fitness Center provides guidance to UIC patients on starting and maintaining a safe and effective workout program.

Back to top

Medications

Participants interested in antiobesity medications must meet the following criteria:

• 16 to 65 years old
• BMI greater than 30 or a BMI greater than 27 with obesity-related disease
• no active heart disease or history of seizures
• not taking certain medications

Prescription of antiobesity medication requires weekly monitoring during the first month of treatment followed by monthly visits thereafter. Medication responders can expect to lose 10-20% of body weight within the first six months of treatment.

Back to top

Surgery

The Medical Center offers two bariatric surgical procedures for weight loss: the Roux en-Y Gastric Bypass and the Lap Band Adjustable Gastric Banding System (Lap Band).

Roux en-Y Gastric Bypass

The Roux en-Y Gastric Bypass routinely achieves weight loss of 60- 80% of excess body weight. The operation creates a small stomach pouch, from which the rest of the stomach is separated. The food that enters this pouch drains into a loop of small intestine, resulting in an early sense of fullness and a feeling of satiety. Patients interested in this option must be more than 100 pounds above ideal body weight (BMI greater than 40) or have a BMI of 35 to 40 with obesity-associated disease. This operation can be performed in some patients by laparoscopy, which requires a shorter hospital stay and allows for a quicker return to activity.

View the Surgery

View the demonstration of a Gastric Bypass (12.1 MB and 8 minutes in length) surgery. To view this demonstration, you must have a RealPlayer. If you do not have RealPlayer, please download here.

Lap Band

The Lap Band Adjustable Gastric Banding System (Lap Band) allows surgeons to place a silicone elastomer band around the upper part of the stomach to create a small stomach pouch which can hold only a small amount of food. The lower, larger part of the stomach is below the band. These two parts are connected by a small outlet created by the band. Food will pass through the outlet from the upper stomach pouch to the lower part more slowly, allowing patients to feel full for a longer period of time. The inner surface of the band can be inflated with liquid (saline solution) or deflated to modify the size of the outlet. The band is connected by tubing to a reservoir, which is placed well under the skin during surgery. After the operation, the surgeon can control the amount of saline in the band by entering the reservoir with a fine needle through the skin. This adjustment can be done as an outpatient procedure. Patients with the Lap Band can expect to lose up to 60% of their excess body weight.

Bariatric surgery evaluations are performed by faculty from the Department of General Surgery, who will explain the operation, potential side effects, and complications.

View the Surgery

View the demonstration of a Lap Band surgery. To view this demonstration, you must have a RealPlayer. If you do not have RealPlayer, please download here.

• Laparoscopic Lap-Band Placement (21 MB and 3 minutes in length)
• Robotic Gastric Lap-Band Placement (6 MB and 5 minutes in length)

Back to top